Advertising device



June 12, 1928. 1,673,137

F. E. BESSEE ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1925 i'IIIIIIIIIIIIII.willIIIIIIIIIIIIIIflIl/ll Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE. T

FRANK E. BESSEE OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO MCDONALD SECURITIES COMPANY, LTD.

ADVERTISING DEVICE;

Application filed August 3, 1925. Serial No. 47,826.

This invention relates to advertising devices of the type in which aseries of advertisements are presented to view in succession, themechanism being actuated. periodically so that there is a time of restin which the advertising matter is displayed, after which, by a quickmovement the next advertisement is brought quickly into view. Whilefeatures of this invention are applicable in any situation where a.display device is periodically actuated, in the present specification Ihave described the invention as applied to a type of rotary advertisingdevice which carries advertising cards and presents the same to view insuccession.

The general object of the present invention is to provide simpleelectro-magnetic means for periodically effecting the actuation of thedisplay device, and to provide an apparatus of this kind, including anautomatic switch which will be reliable in operation; also to providesimple means for regulating the period of rest during which theadvertising matter is displayed.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all of which contribute to'produce an efficientadvertising device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification,

.while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of an advertising device illustrating thecasethereof in sectional end elevation and illustrating the same asprovided with a driving and lighting mechanism embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a driving mechanism embodying thisinvention.

Figure 3 is asectional side elevation taken on the line 3.-3 of- Figure2.

Figure 1 is a top: plan view taken substantially on the line Hof Figure2. I

Figure is an electrical wiring diagram.

In practicing my invention, I provide display means or display mechanismof any suitable construction for carrying an advertisement. Thisvdisplay-means is actuated by an electrmmagnetic device associated withmy automatic. switch. I prefer to provide a circuit with branchesincluding two contacts corresponding; to the branch circuits. The

movable switch member co-operatcs. with the contacts to close the branchcircuits alternately,and in the operation of the device an actuatormoved by the electro-ma-gnetic device operates to throw theswitch fromone contact to the other. i

In the drawing, 1 represents the case of an advertising device. In thisinstance the display device consists of a rotary shaft 2 carrying aplurality of cards 4 pivotally mounted on rods 3 which connect to discs5 rigidly carried by the shaft 2 adjacent the end walls of the case.

In order to actuate the display device, I

prefer to employ a ratchet-and-pawl con-- struction, and in the presentinstance I form one of the discs, 5 with ratchet teeth on its edge, andrigid on the end of the shaft 2 I provide a pawl-arm 7 carrying a pawl6. The arm 7, may be actuated by a link 8 the lower end of which isattached at 9 to the short arm of a lever 10. A detent-pawl 5 isprovided for the ratchet-wheel.

Suitable means is provided for returning the pawl arm after it has beenactuated by depression of the long arm of the lever 10; for this purposeI provide a counter-weight 9 attached to the short arm of the lever;

I provide electro-magnetic means 11 for actuating the lever 10. Theswitch controls the flow of electricity through two signals in the formof lamps 12v and 13., the former of which is a white light which isturned on during the display period; the red light is turned on orflashed when the movement is taking place which displays the. nextadvcrtisement.

The electro-magnetic device includes a core 14 which if desired may beof the laminated type, the upper end of .the core being secured by a pin15 to the lower end of a cylinder, constituting the body of a plunger16. This pin 15 projects considerably from the core and affords meansfor operating the lever 10. It is however not attached to the lever 10but merely engages it.

In order to prevent the plunger from rotating on its longitudinal axis,I provide a guide-roller 17 which moves in a vertical channel-shapedguide 18. attached to the bedplate 19.- of the device. This roller maybe carried on a reduced threaded extension from the pin 15, see Figure3.

I provide checkrmeans to co-operate with the plunger 16 and retard itsmovement in ploying aliquid such as oil, and in order to enable the oiltobe-introduced into the interior of the barrel 22, I provide a smallfilling opening 25 in the bracket'23, closed by 'a removable plug 26.

Between the interior of the barrel 22 and the plunger 16, I providevalve-means for controlling the flow of the oil. Thisvalvemeans may beof any suitable construction but in the present instance includes ballvalves 27 held intheir valve-chambers by retaining fingers 28; the valvechambers comflow of the oil.

municate through ports 29 with the interior of the barrel 22. Air vents22 are provided in the barrel.

In the operation of the device when the core 14 is pulled down the oilwill pass downwardly with relative freedom through the ports 29, but onthe up-stroke of the plunger the ball valves 27 check the upward Iprovide means for perinitting a reduced flow of oil to pass between thecylinders at this time, and for this purpose I provide a bleeder valvein the form of a needle-valve 3O co-operating with a bleeder port31formed at the bottom of a counter-bore 32 in the head of the piston.

The valve 30 is in the form of a threaded stem mounted on the bracket23, the head of which can be rotated to adjust the needle valve in thebleeder port.

After the core 14 has been pulled down by the solenoid coil it isreturned by suitable means such two springs 33 attached at their upperends to anchors34 and 35 onv the bracket 23. The lower end of one ofthese springs is attached to a groove 37 in point 36 to the threadedextension 20. r

The solenoid coil 38 is mounted on an insulating plate 39 supported onthe bed-plate 19. In order to increase the pulling effect of the coil38, I provide a field 40 which may be of horse-shoe type and constructedof plates, that is to say, of the laminated type. This field maybesupported from the bedplate on suitable posts 40*.

I provide an actuator in the form of an arm 42 secured to aninsulating'block4l by a screw 43, which also attaches the block to theside of the plunger 16, see Figure 2. This actuator is constructed so asto'cooperate with a cam formed on the movable switch member in such away that when the actuator arm is in one position it throws the switchagainst one contact and when it is in the opposite position it willthrow the switch 'to the other contact. In order to accomplish this, thearm- 42 is constructed of a resilient bar bent into the form of a Ushaped bow, see Figure 4, and the end of I thisarm is attachedby a screw44 to a roller 47 which if desired may be mounted on a ball bearing 46.

The switch member 49 is in the form of a lever pivotally mounted torotate on a fixed axis or pin 48. This lever carries the cam referred toabove, at its outer end; the cam has two oppositely inclined faces 50and 51 with which the roller 47 co-operates. The end of the levercarries a contact 54. of carbonpencil type which may engage two similarfixed contacts 56 and 59 supported in brackets 57, the uppercontact'56being connected. with a circuit wire 58. I

Referring now to the electrical diagram shown in Figure 5, 61 and 62illustrate the leads of the circuit which connect to a suitable sourceof electric current (not shown) a fuse 63 is connected in the lead 61and this lead 61 is connected to the white lamp 12. A lead or branch 64connects the lamp 12 with the contact 56. The lead or branch 61 isconnected to a wire 65 in which a fuse 66 is connected; the lead 65connects to one side of the coil 88 and to the red lamp 13. A. lead 67connects the opposite side of the coil 38 and lamp 12 to the contact 59.

' In the operation of the apparatus when the switch lever is in itsupper position, see Figures 2 and 5, the current will flow through thewhite lamp 12' and the display of the advertising page or card will bemade. During this time, however, the springs areexerting their force topullthe plunger up again and will eventually move the arm.

42 across the axis of the pin 48 and bring the roller '47 into contactwith the upper inclincd face 50 of the cam. As soon as this occurs theresiliency of the arm 42 will cooperate with the cam face 50 to throwthe lever 49 to its lowest position and into engagei'nent with thecontact 59. In this connection, it should be understood that the use ofa spring in connection with the arm 42 enables the roller to passtheapex or peak of the cam.

As soon as the switch lever has been moved down against the contact 59the branch circuit through the coil 38 will. he closed through the redlamp 133. This will. effect the downward movement of the plunger 16 andas soon as the arm 42 approaches the position in which it is shown inFigure 2, then the roller 47 will co-operate with the cam to throw thelever 49 back to its elevated position. i p 1 v The length of time eachadvertising card is displayed can be controlled by regulating the needlevalve 30. c The air-vents 22 enable the air to flow freely in and out ofthe barrel 22 so that the air within the barrel will not interfere withthe proper co-operation of the plunger" 16 with thebarrel.

As the plunger moves down the pin 15 operates the lever 10 and thisoperates the pawl-arm 7 and pawl 6 to rotate the ratchetwheel 5.

If desired the counter-weight 9 may be made sufficiently heavy to returntheplunger well as to return the pawl-arm 7. It 'is understood that theembodiment of the invention described herein is one of the manyembodiments this invention ma '7 take, and I do not wish'to be limitedin the practice ot the invention, nor in the claims, to the particularembodiment set forth;

hat I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, an electro-magnetic device for actuatingthe display-means, a circuit passing through the electro-magnetic devicewith branches for thesanie, including two contacts corresponding to thebranch circuits, a signal in one of said branch circuits, a switchmember to cooperate with either contact to close the branch circuitsalternately, an actuator moved in one direction by the elcctro-magneticdevice, a spring for returning the actuator, said switch member having acam, and means carried by the actuator co-operating with the cam tothrow the switch member from one contact to the other,-

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, an electro-magnetic device for actuatingthe displaymeans, a circuit passing through the electro-magnetic devicewith branches for the same, including two contacts corresponding to thebranch circuits. a signal in one of said branch circuits, a switchmember to co -operate with either contact to close the branch circuitsalternately, an actuator moved in one direction by the elcctro-magneticdevice, a spring for returning the actuator, said switch member having acam, means co-operatingwith the cam to throw the switch member from onecontact to the other, and a check-device -for retarding the movement ofthe electro-magnetic device in one direction. I

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, a solenoid coil, a plunger actuatedthereby, a circuit with branches, one of which passes though the coil, asignal device in one of the branches, said circuit including twocontact-s corresponding to the branch circuits, a switch lever toco-operate with the contacts to close the branch circuits alternately,and having a cam head, an actuator for the lever carried by the plungerand having means for resiliently engaging the cam and operating in oneposition to hold the lever in engagement with one contact and in theother position to hold the lever in engagement with the other contact,and means for returning the plunger after actuation by the coil.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, a solenoid coil, aplunger actuated thereby,a circuit with branches, one of which passes through the coil, signalsin the other branch of the circuit, said circui t including two contactscorresponding to the branch circuits, a switch lever to cooperate withthe contacts to close the branch circuits alternately, and having a camhead, an actuator for plunger including a spring and a roller pressed bythe spring against the cam, said plunger operating to move the actuatorarm to and fro across the axis of rotation of the switch lever, saidactuator arm operating in one position to hold theswitch lever againstone contact and the other position to hold the switch lever against theother contact.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, a solenoid coil, a plunger actuatedthereby, a circuit with signals and having branches, one of which passesthrough the coil, said circuit including two contacts corresponding tothe branch circuits, a switch lever to co-operate with the contacts toclose the branch circuits alternately, and having a cam head, an.actuator for the lever carried by the plunger including a spring andaroller pressed by the spring against the cam, said plunger operating tomove the actuator arm to and fro across the axis ot rotation of theswitch lever, aid actuator arm operating in one position to hold theswitch lever against one contact and'the other position to hold theswitch lever against the other contact, and fluid operated checkingmeans co -operating with the plunger to permit a relatively ,tlreemovement of the plunger in one direction and a retardedmovement of theplunger in the other direction. i

6. In a device of the kind combination of display-means for carryingadvertisements, a solenoid coil, a plunger actuated thereby, a circuitwith signals and having branches, one of which passes through the coil,said circuit including two contacts corresponding to the branchcircuits, a switch lever to cooperate with the contacts to close thebranch circuits alternately, and having a cam head, an actuator for thelever carried by the plunger including a spring and a roller pressed bythe spring against the cam, said plunger operating to move the actuatorarm to and fro across the axis of rotation of the switch lever, saidactuator armoperating in one position to hold the switch lever againstone contact and in the other positionto hold the described, the

the lever carried by the n switch lever against the other contact, saidplunger including a cylinder, a fixed barrel projecting into thecylinder with valve means connecting the interior of the barrel with theinterior of the cylinder beyond the barrel, said cylinder and barrelco-operating to produce a checking effect on the movement of the plungerin one direction.

7. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertiscmentsja solenoid coil, a plunger actuated thereby,a circuit with signals and having branches, one of which passes throughthe coil, said circuit including two contacts corresponding to thebranch circuits, a switch lever to co-operate with the v contact and inthe other position to hold the switch lever against the other contact,said plunger including a cylinder, a fixed barrel projecting into thecylinder with valve means connecting the interior of the barrel with theinterior of the cylinder beyond the barrel, said cylinder and barrelco-operating to produce a checking efi'ect on the movement of theplunger in one direction, said barrel having ableeder port connectingthe interior of the cylinder with the interior of the barrel andcooperating with the valve means in i the retarded movement oftheplunger 8. In a device of the kind described, the combination ofdisplay-means for carrying advertisements, a solenoid coil, a plungeractuated thereby, a circuit with branches including signals, one oiwhich branches passes through the coil, said circuit including twocontacts corresponding to the branch circuits, a switch lever toco-operate wit-h the contacts to close the branch circuits alternately,and having a cam head, an actuator for the lever carried by the plungerincluding a spring and a roller pressed by the spring againstthe cam,said plunger operating to move the actuator arm toand fro across theaxis of rotation of the switch lever, said actuator arm operating in oneposi- Lev/3,137

actuating the display-means, means for actuating the pawl by the plungerwhen actuated by the energized coil and means for returning the pawlafter the same has been actuated by the plunger. g

10- In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisements, a ratchet with a pawl-arm and pawl foractuating the display-means, a lever connected with the pawl-arm toactuate the ratchet, a solenoid coil, a plunger including a'cylinderactuated by the coil and having means for actuating said lever when theplunger is moved by the energizing of the coil, a fixed pistoncooperating with the cylinder to form a check-pot, with a valvecontrolling flow to and from the cylinder, spring-means connected withthe plunger for returning the same after actuation by the coil, andmeans for returning the pawl arm after it is actuated by the solenoid.

11. In a device of the kind described, the combination of display-meansfor carrying advertisement-s, a lever with a pawl and pawl-arm foractuating the display-means, a link connected with the arm, a leverconnected with the link, a solenoid coil, a plunger actuated therebyhaving means for actuating-the lever when the plunger is moved by theenergizing of the'coil, springturning the same after actuation by thecoil, a cylinder connectedwith plunger, a fixed piston cooperating withthe cylinder to form a check-pot with a valve controlling flow to andfrom the cylinder, and a counter-weight on the lever for returning thepawl-arm after it is actuated by the plunger.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 27th day of July 1925.

FRANK E. BESSEE.

means connected with the plunger for re- I

